Sectional ship.



J. M. ROSS.

SECTIONAL SHIP.

APPLICATION mm MAY 26. m4.

Patented Aug". 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET l- J. M. ROSS.

SECTIONAL SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 25. I914- 1,149,598. Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1. M. ROSS. SECTIONAL SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 26, I914.

i x, x g w, W m o 0 M W M \N IL COLUMBIA PLANonlul'N co.,vIAlMlNuToN.n.c.

J. M. ROSS.

SECTIONAL SHIP. APPLICATION men MAY 26. 1914.

Patented Aug: 10, 1915.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

gnuewfoz COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH CO-, WASHINGTON, D- C.

J. M. ROSS.

SECTIONAL SHIP.

APPLICATION man mwzs, m4.

Patented Aug. 10, 1915.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

COLUMBIA PLANOOIAIH 'CO WMHINOTON. D. C.

JOHN MILTON ROSS, OF 110$ ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

SEGTIONAL SHIP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10,1915.

Application filed May 26, 1914. Serial No. 841,058.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JOHN MILTON Ross, a citizen of the United States, residing at LOS Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sectional Ships; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. j

This invention relates-to ships such as are used to carry passengers and freight and has special reference to a ship provided with means whereby, when the hull of the ship is injured so that it will sink, the passengers and freight may be discharged in haste.

The invention furthermore has reference to a ship provided with a'series of detachable compartments for either passengers or freight or for both passengers and freight.

The principal object of the'invention is to provide a ship of this character wherein the discharge of passengers and freight may be effected without reference to weather or other conditions, the compartments which are detachable being in themselves sufficiently buoyant to constitute separate boats or floats. v

Another object of theinvention is to provide the detachable portionsvof the ship with proper propulsive and steering apparatus.

A third object of the invention is to render the discharge of these compartments readily controllable from a central station.

iVith the above and other objects in view the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter fully described illustrated in 'the'accompanying drawings, and specifically. claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the manner of suspending the upper detachable x which is ordinarily heldin locked position by a pin 39 extending into the respective compartment's'so that when a person in the several views, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of apassenger ship constructed in accordance with this 1I1V8I1t1011i. Fig. 2 is an end view partly in section. F1g.. 3 1s a detail plan View of a portion of the upper deck of such a ship showing t'h e controlling station. Fig. 4 is an-enlarged detail showing the section. Fig. 5 is a fragmental detailshowmg the track and runn nggear forth'e compartments. Fig. 6 is a fra'ginental detail showing the mechanismfor moving the compartments. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of a modification especially adapted for both freight and passengerservice. Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on a vertical plane; Fig. 9 is a detailtop view of one of the removable sections. F igQlO is a detail section showing the arrangement of cables for drawing the sections into launching position. r

In the form of the invention shown in Figs. 1 and 2 there is'provi ded a hull having abroad. lower portion 20 and a narrow upper portion 21. This narrow upper portion 'forms, in connection with the broad lower portion a .pair of longitudinal shelves or shoulders 22 and on these shelves or shoulders are mounted certain tracks 23 for the movable and detachable sections of the The lowermost of these sections on vessel. each side of the ship is indicated at 2% and this lowermost section is provided with brackets25 which carry wheels 26 running on the tracks 23. Furthermore each of these sections is provided with suitable window openings 27. These sectionscominunicate with the lower deck 28 of the ship so that 'passengelsmay pass in and out of the sections, there being, of course, water tight doors provided for each section. Superposed on the sections 2& are other sections 29 and on top of these sections again are still further sections 30. It will be obvious that this section arrangement may be. repeated 1 for as many depths as the ship has. .011 top .ofeach section, with the exception of the upper section, is a pair of guides 31 wherein slide a bar 32 provided with hooks 33. On the under side of each section, with the exception of the lower section, are eyes 34 wherein said hooks engage. Furthermore each of the bars 32 is provided with an upstanding portion 35 and each of the lower sections is-provided with an upwardly extending lug 36.; Between each portion 35 and its respective portion 36 is located a spring 37 so that the bar 32 is normally urged to disengage the hook 33 from the eyes 34. This, however, is prevented by means of a lever 37 which isconnected to the upstanding member 35by a link 38 and compartment pulls the pin inward the lever is released and the bar 32 allowed to disenga e the hooks 33 from the eyes 34.

it the rear end of the ship or stern there of, is a downwardly inclined run way 39 whereon rests a carriage 40, said carriage being supported on the run way by means of wheels 45 which run over the tracks 46 supported on the frame work of the ship. These wheels 45 are carried on shafts 47 which also serve to support brackets 48 provided with the stub shaft 49. On these stub shafts 49 are wheels 50 which engage beneath the track 46 so that by no possible means can the wheels become detached from the track 46. Connected to this carriage is a cable 51 which extends upward over suitable guide pulleys 52 and is connected on the upper deck to a drum 53 operated by a motor 54. Thus by means of this motor the carriage may be raised or lowered as desired on the run way.

On the upper deck of the ship there is arranged a traction drum 55 which is adapted for actuation by motor 56 and adjacent this motor there is a trap door 57 giving access to the controlling mechanism of the device. This particular drum and motor is duplicated on each side of the ship while the drum 53 is located centrally of the ship and is provided with a suitable brake mechanism indicated at 58.

From Fig. 1 it will be observed that the compartments are arranged in stacks, being illustrated in that figure as in stacks of three. From the drum 57 a cable 59 extends to each of said stacks so that they can be drawn successively over the carrier 40. The upper member of each stack is pro vided on its upper side with rollers 50 which are supported in suitable brackets 61 and run over rails 62 fixed to the hull of the vessel.

Located just above the center of gravity of each of the stacks is a hook 62 which is engaged by an eye 63 on a cable 64 run ning over a guide pulley 65. These cables 64 lead to a drum 66 controlled by a brake lever 67 and operated by a motor 68.

In the operation of the device as thus far described each stack of compartments, after the passengers have entered therein and closed the doors, is moved rearwardly of the ship by means of the motor 56 and drum 55 through the medium of the cable 59. Thereupon one of the cables 64 attached to the drum 66 is connected to the eye 62 of the respective stack. When the lowermost compartment of the stack is over the carrier 40 the lever 37 is released so that this compart- I ment can be carried down the run way 39 and deposited in the water while the next compartment above is lowered ready to take place on the carrier 40. In like manner each successive compartment can be released.

After, one tier of compartments is released in this manner a second tier is drawn rearward of the ship and in like manner deposited.

In the form shown in Figs. 10 and 11 there is provided a ship having a hull 100 above which is a superstructure 101 so arranged as to provide shelves 102 whereon are rails 103. The floatable compartments are arranged vertically along the side of the ship and at the rear thereof there is arranged a run-way 104 whereon works a carrier 105. This carrier 1.05 is controlled by means of a cable 106 operated by a drum 107 actuated by a motor 108. The line of compartments on each side of the ship is drawn forward by means of a cable 109 wound around a drum 110 which is controlled by a motor 111. This cable 109 runs over a guide pulley 112 and thence vertically downward as shown in Fig. 10 and is connected at its forward end to the forward compartment as indicated at 113. Furthermore a motor locomotive 114 may be employed to push the line of compartment rearwardly. It will be observed from 10 that these compartments stand vertically under ordinary circumstances. By means of a cable 115 wound around a drum 116 actuated by a motor 117 the compartments may be tilted downwardly until they rest on the carrier 105. In order to accomplish this object there is provided at the bow of each of the compartments a pair of wheels 118 through which the cable 115 passes so that as the compartment is drawn rearwardly the cable 115 may be tightened until the rear wheels 119 of the compartment been provision made for the ordinary sleeping or storage compartments of any vessel to release the same from the hull of the vessel and deposit them in the water, said compartments being in themselves floatable and constituting boats capable of being propelled in any desired manner.

There has thus been provided asimple and eflicient device of the kind described and of the character specified.

It will be obvious that many minor changes may be made in the form and construction of this invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and de- 133 scribed, but it is wished to include all such as come properly within the scope of the claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is 2- 1. In a ship of the class described, a hull, a series of movable compartments arranged longitudinally of the hull, a launching device at the stern of the ship, and means to draw said compartments rearwardly and place them in succession on the launching device.

2. In a ship of the class described, a hull, a launching device at the stern of said hull, a series of sets of compartments adapted for living and storage purposes, means to draw said sets in succession over the launching device, and other means to lower the compartments of each set successively on the launching device. I

3. In a ship of the class described, a hull, a launching device at the stern of said hull, a series of sets of compartments adapted for living and storage purposes, releasable lockmg means connecting the compartments of each set, means to draw said sets in succession over the launching device, and other means to lower the compartments of each set successively on the launching device.

4. In a ship of the class described, a hull having a broad lower body and a narrow superstructure arranged to form a pair of shelves, a launching device at the stern of the ship including a carrier and means to control the same, a lowering device on said superstructure above the launching device and including lowering cables, a runway on each side of the superstructure extending forwardly from the lowering device, a series of sets of compartments suspended from each runway, the lower compartments of each set being each detachably connected to the compartment above, means to draw said sets successively over said carrier, and means on the upper compartment of each set to per mit attachment of the lowering cables.

5. In a ship of the class described, a hull, a series of compartments arranged along said hull, means to move said compartments rearwardly of the hull, a launching device at the stern of the ship, means to control the launching device, and other means to move each compartment onto said launching device.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHNJMILTON ROSS. Witnesses:

AGNES LIEN, L. A'rwnLL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner! of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

